Constipation
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(i) Avoid three white poisons – Control the intake of three, so called, white poisons i.e. salt, sugar and starch (maida).
(ii) Curb overeating tendencies – Please remember, overeating even the most nutritious of foods can interfere with your digestive system. A useful rule to eliminate the habit of overeating is to eat only while eating i.e. no other activities or distractions when eating. This will eliminate the tendency to munch instantly and requires that the person be hungry enough to discontinue all other activities for eating. A helpful tip is to start your main meal with salad or soup and you will naturally eat less during the rest of the meal.
(iii) Eat in moderation – Eating till you burst is a wrong strategy for the maintenance of good health including the digestive system. Always get up from the table feeling slightly hungry i.e. with a feeling that you can eat more. Eat as much as your body needs and no more. Eating in moderation will help in digesting the food easily.
(iv) Eat slowly and calmly – Eat when calm, your digestive system will work much better. Eating while under any stressful emotions, like anger, irritability, basically paralyses all digestive functions. Hurried meals at odd times should be avoided. Eat food slowly, because from the time you begin eating, it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to signal a feeling of fullness. Fast eaters eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. Eating should be a celebration. Well-chewed food eaten slowly and calmly will pass through your digestive system with maximum nutritional uptake and within minimum time.
(v) Modify your lifestyle – If you are not willing to sit down and change the way you live each day to include healthy eating and exercise and time to enjoy and nurture yourself with relaxation and adequate sleep, then it is very hard to stay healthy and avoid disorders like constipation.
(vi) Adhere to regular daily schedule – Getting up and sleeping at a fixed time and adhering to a proper dietary schedule and routine is always helpful for good health. Also make a regular habit of defecating at the same time everyday. The activity of the colon is naturally more efficient in early morning after waking, which is therefore the best time to empty the stomach. Squatting has been shown by researchers to be the best position to relieve the bowels.
(vii) Do not suppress the urge to defecate – You should never ignore the urge or feeling to go to the toilet for a bowel movement even when you are very busy. Suppressing this natural urge, over a period of time, is one of the primal causes of constipation through hardening and backlog of faeces that may become difficult to pass later. Attend to the call of nature regularly even if you do not get immediate results.
(viii) Adopt positive attitude – Do not remain occupied or obsessed with constipation or any other ailments all the time. One should make every effort to develop a positive and cheerful attitude in your thinking and have faith in yourself that you can achieve a healthy body and mind. Learn to let go of negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, hostility and insecurity connected with longstanding issues and ailments like constipation that can not be resolved immediately but can interfere with normal digestion. Constipation develops over a period of time and it is bound to disappear over time with the dietary and lifestyle changes described earlier.
